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now or never. seriously.

So last night, I went to bed at a ridiculously late hour because I had to watch Obama’s infomercial, and then Obama on The Daily Show and then Obama do a stand up comedy special on HBO (oh, maybe that’s not quite right)….

After my Obama-thon, I still had to fill out a school admissions application for Dylan (with essay questions) and then fill it out again because I smudged it as I was putting it in the envelope.

But before I finally turned in, I checked on the kids and as I watched Summer’s beautiful, hypnotic breathing, she started to stir.

So I froze.

And then she moved around some more.

I held my breath and continued my motionless vigil.

Then her eyes popped open.

And I squeezed mine shut, pathetically hoping to prevent her from actually seeing me, which as you might have guessed was an enormously ineffective tactic.

So Rick and I spent the next half hour trying to get her back to sleep. Am I a master at waking my kids up or what? Wow, it’s like a whole new, untapped hobby for me.

My point is… standing motionless and squeezing your eyes shut doesn’t usually accomplish much of anything in this world. So this weekend, if you have a passion for one of the candidates, do something.

Pull up their campaign website and get involved. This election is positively NOT over and there are a million things you can do to help your candidate win.

And it will make you feel energized, passionate and engaged in our democratic process.

As for my friend Liz, she was trying to convince me to go hear an alternative country band in the East Village tonight.

Hmmm… Although I had a somewhat fierce Garth brooks/Billy Ray phase in my early twenties, I’m not much of a country girl or very alternative either. But we bartered. I’m going to the concert. She’s phone banking on Saturday.

I have relatives getting out the vote in North Carolina.

My dad is making calls from Cape Cod.

All campaign rhetoric aside, this really is our moment.

Because in life, we can squeeze our eyes shut, blocking out the injustices and wrongdoings, or we can stand up and do something about it.

25 Responses to now or never. seriously.

Ok, Ok, I’m going to knock on doors this weekend…although I’m thrilled to say that the early voting effort here is kicking butt. More than half of all eligible voters have already voted! Now if we could only start counting those votes…

Scrappy Sue, you live in California; it matters not who you vote for – OBAMA takes the State. Find some election night party to celebrate at…watch the returns with the Democrats, eat, drink & be merry.

Yes, please do something because I absolutely can’t and if I get one more email from the Obama campaign telling me that they have a volunteer shift with my name on it, I will die of guilt if the unthinkable happens.

Hello MemarieLane.
Here to help with your indecision. First, I need a bit more information. What issues are most important to you? And, what is it about McCain and/or Obama (ok, ok, or Obama and/or McCain, just in case some folks out there figure the order of the names might actually mean something) that leaves you wondering which might do best with your issues? I’ll plug your responses into my brain and get right back to you. Really.

MemarieLane, there are a million reasons I could list for why I suggest you vote for Senator Obama, but I will focus on the one that scares me the most: The Supreme Court. The next President will likely have the opportunity to appoint at least two Justices to the Court. McCain has already said he would support nominees with judicial philosophies similar to Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts. All brilliant men, but they are slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) chipping away at our individual rights and freedoms. The two Justices most likely to step down — Breyer and Stevens — are both moderate to liberal and play an important role in balancing out the 4 conservatives, and help keep Kennedy the swing vote in the moderate camp on some key issues. If McCain appoints conservative justices the conservatives will have a LOCK on the court for AT LEAST ANOTHER GENERATION. The conservatives are mostly young, so think about that. Remember also that Supreme Court Justices are appointed for LIFE! Obama will appoint more moderate judges who will protect individual liberties, most importantly, our freedom of choice.

memarie- valerie brings up a good point, if obama gets elected he will turn the supreme court to nearly all liberal justices. this means the partial birth abortion will probably be overturned. sad sad things.

also, keep in mind senator obama did not even pass the fbi background check. a little concerning.

Memarie Lane, do tell us what issues are important to you and let us all try to swing your vote! Economy? War? Health care? What matters most to you? What are you looking for in a president?

I would also advise checking out snopes.com regarding the unbelievable flood of incorrect email rumors floating around about Barack Obama. Those who choose fear as a tactic have been in overdrive with this one. Obama is not a Muslim, he is a U.S. citizen, his schooling was not funded my mysterious sources, he did, has and done pass all background checks (and with a relative who performs these types of checks, I can say that with certainty). Here’s the link to the snopes investigations on the rumors, if it helps:

myhouseof6 – in order for senator obama to have failed an fbi background test, he would have had to apply for a job there, which as far as i know, he did not. you’re reading too many loony far right web sites. and believing them! i try to listen to what the candidates are actually saying themselves, and i just heard senator mccain call “joe the plumber” an “american hero.” how this true american hero has let his campaign sink to such lows is the real tragedy here. this is not the kind of campaign john mccain wanted to run, that’s for sure.

Myhouseofsix-Can I ask where you are getting your info? I have never, EVER heard anything as silly as Obama failing a background check with the FBI. That is right up there with Obama being a Muslim which is crazy talk!

Memarie Lane-Listen to the candidates and what they believe. I agree with other posts. What issues are important to you? Where do the candidates stand on those issues? Those are the two questions I asked myself. Obama happens to be the person I support because of his stance on healthcare, women’s rights, the environment and the war in Iraq. In addition, I don’t want to see the Supreme Court swing to the far, FAR right.
Good luck on making your decision!!!

Although I am a liberal, I understood why people supported McCain. I may disagree but I got it. Until Sarah Palin said that the Vice President “runs the Senate” and “gets to get in there and make great policy with the Senators.” Someone who could not pass a 6th grade Civics test has NO BUSINESS being one heart beat from the Presidency or having a job she doesn’t actually understand. McCain chose someone unqualified in order to pander to the right-to-life people who were unsure about him. He could have at least chosen a right-to-lifer who understands the three branches of government. There are plenty.

Hi Kelc and readers-
it’s too late and I’m too tired to try to convince you to vote for Obama and all that comes with this post, but I hope that Kelcey can sleep for an extra ten minutes knowing that despite my leaving for Baltimore tomorrow for work I filed an absentee ballot weeks ago and voted for Obama, and my parents are DIE HARD Obama fans. I’ll be in Baltimore during the election, and my thoughts are with one of my dearest friends (Kelcey) that this works out our way. I wouldn’t want to see what happens if it goes the other way. Then again, the Phillies did win so I think our odds are better!!!! And a BIG ASS SHOUT OUT TO LUCY TUPU who, if she doesn’t remember meeting me, I remember her and I have been to New Zealand and I love NZ and Lucy for her active participation in an election in which she cannot vote but for a candidate and friends in whom she believes. I love the Kiwis and Aussies and my vote goes for Lucy!!!!!!!

This reminds me of a cat we used to have; when Max was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing (being on the counter, for example), and we busted him, he would close his eyes, so that we wouldn’t see him! Hilarious.